Choose A Side: RENEGADES Blog Tour

Hi, my name is Jen, and I'm an Anarchist. And I hope you'll join me in my attempts to undermine the Renegades revolution! My super power is Telekinesis, which means I'm very smart and can move things with my mind...so those Renegades better watch their backs. 😈

You can choose which side you're on, as well as discover your own super power, by taking this quiz.

I've always been kind of partial to villains, so as part of my recruitment campaign, I'm sharing my Top Ten Villains in Literature below.

But first, here's a little more about the book...

Title: Renegades
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: Renegades, book #1
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: November 7, 2017
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

From #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer, comes a high-stakes world of adventure, passion, danger, and betrayal.

Secret Identities.
Extraordinary Powers.
She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone...except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

Top Ten Villains in Literature/Comics

I know some readers prefer traditional villains, and while I do have some of those on my list, I've got some...different kinds of villains in my list of faves, as well. In no particular order, here are some of my favorite villains:

1. The Lilim from Stardust by Neil Gaiman - These three witches, known collectively as the Lilim, seek the heart of a fallen star turned mortal woman so that they may eat it in order to stay young so that they may cast more evil spells and continue various nefarious deeds. After finishing off the heart of the last fallen star.

2. The 7 Evil Exes from the Scott Pilgrim comic book series by Bryan Lee O'Malley - True, some are more evil than others and some are hotter than others, but evil is as evil does. And these evil exes have some fun psychic and mystical powers.

3. President Snow from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - This guy is evil incarnate. A true villain in every sense of the word. Diabolical, even. Him and those roses, tho...soooo creepy.

4. Queen Levana from the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer - Now this is a woman with a plan. Evil genius, yes, but also undoubtedly off her rocker. Some of my favorite villains are the crazy ones.

5. The Darkling from the Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo - Um, so, yeah. Aleksander Morozova will always make my list, no matter what type of villains we're talking about. He's yummy. He's dark and mysterious. Kind of a stalker and halfway redeemable but evil when it really matters. *le sigh*

6. Other Mother from Coraline by Neil Gaiman - Man, she tries SO hard, doesn't she? She just wants a daughter of her own - to keep and sew button eyes on, but to each their own, right?

7. Valentine Morgenstern from The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare - Now, here's a guy who really knows how to f*** with your head...and his own kids. And his wife, too. And his friends. Well, pretty much anyone he meets. What an evil mastermind lurks beneath that smooth exterior!

8. AIDAN from Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - So, maybe not a true villain by everyone else's standards, but this Artificial Intelligence was pretty malicious. Like, that death toll was only going to keep rising.

9. Amarantha from A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas - This lady knows how to play the long game. And make you cower in fear all the while. She likes riddles and kicking puppies and will kill you just for fun. Amarantha will destroy any bit of happiness you find, and it gives her immense pleasure to do so.

10. Dolores Umbridge from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - She may not be the ultimate villain in the series, but at least Voldemort knows he's evil. Umbridge waltzes around in her pink ensembles, thinking her poop doesn't stink, all the while making it even easier for Voldemort to carry out his evil plans.

Heroes aren't perfect and villains aren't always what they seem. I do like a villain who stays the course, who remains villainous for the duration of a series. But I also love a redeemable villain or one with a tragic backstory that explains WHY he or she ended up this way. And sometimes?

Sometimes. I. Just. Like. Villains.

About the author:

Marissa Meyer lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband, twin daughters, and three cats. She’s a fan of most things geeky (Sailor Moon, Firefly, color-coordinating her bookshelf . . .), and has been in love with fairy tales since she was given a small book of them when she was a child. She may or may not be a cyborg.

Find Marissa:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest

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Labels: blog tour, fantasy, favorite authors, favorites, macmillan, marissa meyer, promotions, renegades, superheroes, villains

{Blog Tour} 40 Days To #Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Hey, bookies! I'm helping Fierce Reads celebrate the days until #Heartless by sharing the #HeartlessCountdown poster below -- you can download a copy here! -- and my review of this epic retelling/origin story from the wondrous Marissa Meyer:

Join the #HeartlessCountdown and check out all 50 daily challenges from @FierceReads! To participate in today's challenge, just share a picture of the #HeartlessCountdown poster (linked above) in your town on Twitter or Instagram using #HeartlessCountdown and #Sweepstakes and you'll be entered to win a special edition advance copy of Heartless and MORE every single day.

Now, on to my review...


Title: Heartless
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: November 8, 2016
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland — the infamous Queen of Hearts — she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the yet-unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend and supply the Kingdom of Hearts with delectable pastries and confections. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next Queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the king's marriage proposal, she meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship.

Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

Ah, this wonderful, dreamy little book. Anyone who's read Alice in Wonderland knows the Queen of Hearts to be a ruthless monarch, who ruled the land with frequent taunts of "Off with his head!" So, to say that I went into this origin story with some trepidation about the ending would be a major understatement. But I'm a long-time fan of Marissa Meyer's work, and I knew she would do Catherine's character proud.

Meyer told Queen Levana's -- from The Lunar Chronicles -- origin story in Fairest, but that lady was cuckoo before she even got started. Catherine, however, is a hopeful, somewhat naive girl whose optimism knows no limits, other than those that society would place upon her. And yet, with the possibility of all of her choices being taken from her, it's easy to see how she might become the Queen of Hearts we know and despise. I love that one of the hashtags for this story is #DefyDestiny because that's exactly what I was hoping Catherine would do as the story progressed. But if the King and her parents have their way, Cath's destiny is to wed the King and become the Queen of Hearts.

Even before she meets Jest, Cath has reservations about being queen. She just wants to open a bakery and marry someone she loves and lead a simple life. But Cath is the daughter of a Marquess and the kingdom expects far greater things from a lady. Much greater than falling for the Court Joker, for example. Jest is enigmatic and charasmatic, and the attraction between him and Catherine is undeniable. As undeniable as it is foolish, considering she's being courted by the King. To be honest, this scenario reminded me a lot of Evil Queen Regina's plight on Once Upon a Time: to be in love with a lowly servant-type fellow when her mother has much bigger plans for her future, namely to be Queen. And just as I found myself empathizing with Regina on the show, I feel much the same way toward Catherine and the obvious chemistry she has with Jest.

Much as the romance reminded me of OUAT, the story itself reminded me of every foray I've ever made into Wonderland. The whimsy, the dream-like quality, the unforgettable characters -- all are present and accounted for, and yet they are still undoubtedly Meyer's creations. I loved seeing how she tied certain aspects from the original tale into her story. Some instances had me fascinated, while others had me saying, "Oh, OH...I get it now!" It was uncanny how familiar this story felt again in such capable hands.

I must say, I've loved each and every word I've read of Marissa Meyer's, but I think Heartless is my new favorite story. Unlike in The Lunar Chronicles where the author took beloved characters and gave them new life in a new world, Heartless just felt like a fairy tale...not a reimagining like TLC but a continuation or precursor to an old favorite. I know that this is supposed to be a stand-alone, but Meyer's vivid descriptions and gorgeous words did nothing to satiate my longing for more Wonderland encounters. I already can't wait to get this one on audio, too, so I can experience the wonder of it all over again!

40 DAYS TILL HEARTLESS!

GIF it to me straight:

 

About the author:

Marissa Meyer lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband, twin daughters, and three cats. She’s a fan of most things geeky (Sailor Moon, Firefly, color-coordinating her bookshelf . . .), and has been in love with fairy tales since she was given a small book of them when she was a child. She may or may not be a cyborg.

Find Marissa:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest

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Labels: alice in wonderland, beautiful covers, blog tour, fantasy, favorite authors, favorites, heartless, macmillan, marissa meyer, retellings, reviews

{Event} #StarsAbove Tour | Marissa Meyer Signing at Irving Public Library

Last Saturday, I dragged my husband and 7yo daughter to the Marissa Meyer signing at the Irving Public Library for the #StarsAbove tour to celebrate the author's latest release: a collection of short stories featuring the characters from The Lunar Chronicles. I had to promise them Thai food and other things since this event was over an hour away from us and would likely last a few hours that they couldn't get back. ;0) This is the first real signing my husband has attended with me, and I think it was a side of me he's never seen before, lol.

The Library

I'd never been to a signing at this locale, though they get many great authors, and it was an absolutely lovely location for the event. Mary was such an awesome host to the over 300 attendees and even got the group to sing "Deep in the Heart of Texas" to show Marissa a warm welcome. It was standing room only in the auditorium where the event was held, but it was a great crowd.

The Event - Discussion, Q&A, and Author Reading

While the author discussed the series at large and then how the compilation of short stories came to be, we listened intently, but my husband was distracted by the banner behind Marissa. He remarked later that the story and that backdrop combined would make for an awesome video game. I'm not a gamer myself, but I have to agree.

Marissa took some questions from the audience, but I forgot my notepad so I couldn't take notes. :( Here are a few that I remember, though I'm paraphrasing hardcore:

Q: Which ship does she ship the hardest?

A: Kiko (Iko and Kinney), which she says she's foreshadowed enough that we'll probably be seeing more of them...in the graphic novels :D

Q: Since we're all fangirls/boys for her work, who's someone she's met that she considers a celebrity?

A: Meg Cabot, who she was excited to learn had actually read her work, as well

Q: Does she cry or laugh maniacally when she kills off her darlings?
A: When she's writing the character deaths, they hit her hard. The one in Scarlet brought her to tears. But when she's reading reader reactions to these deaths, she grins evilly.

Marissa doesn't like to read from her own novels at signings, so she told us the story of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson. (She is not a fan, btw.) My daughter was very surprised by this story, as thus far, she's only known the version Disney tells. Guess it's time to school her.

The Signing - W/ Bonus Mobile Planetarium

I wasn't able to get my signing ticket in advance, so I was #257, which meant a long very long wait to meet Marissa. Luckily, there were cupcakes and lemonade and Mary hosted a little adventure in the mobile planetarium they had in the library, special for the event. I'm a little claustrophobic and the crush of 300+ people was already getting to me, so I didn't check this out, but my hubby and kiddo did, and she was utterly captivated when she came back. They sang songs, got to see the constellations as they related to Harry Potter, and she learned that the Big Dipper isn't really the Big Dipper...it's apparently part of Ursa Major. Who knew? (I mean, I should have...I used to love astronomy and had a telescope in my room when I was a kid, but that was ages ago. :P)

The signing line took about two hours, but we were seated for most of that, until my number was called, so it wasn't too bad of a wait. Except for the complaints from my family that they were hungry. ;( Anyway, we got up there and I may have had the largest stack I'd seen of anyone at the event. This was my first time meeting Marissa, though she's been to my area before, so I had to have her sign all of my HCs, plus my ARCs, plus my audiobook and the drawing Katie did for Judging a Book By Its Cover so long ago. It was a lot, but Marissa was so generous with her time. She recognized that I was a blogger and so we chatted about the community a bit and about instilling a love of reading in young people.

A nice chat all around and an awesome event. Thanks to Mary, the Irving Public Library, Marissa Meyer, and Fierce Reads for putting this tour together! And thanks to my family for suffering through it with me! It means the world to me!

I can't wait for Heartless!!!!!

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Labels: 2016, favorite authors, favorites, irving public library, macmillan, marissa meyer, signings, the lunar chronicles

STARS ABOVE! I Never Want This Series To End!!!

Title: Stars Above
Author: Marissa Meyer
Narrator(s): Rebecca Soler
Series: The Lunar Chronicles, a collection of short stories
Length: 9 hrs 58 mins
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: February 2, 2016
Source: purchased hardcover for shelf and audiobook for immediate immersion =)
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

The enchantment continues....

The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?

With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

--

The Little Android: A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles.
Glitches: In this prequel to Cinder, we see the results of the plague play out, and the emotional toll it takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch….
The Queen’s Army: In this prequel to Scarlet, we’re introduced to the army Queen Levana is building, and one soldier in particular who will do anything to keep from becoming the monster they want him to be.
Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky: Thirteen-year-old Carswell Thorne has big plans involving a Rampion spaceship and a no-return trip out of Los Angeles.
The Keeper: A prequel to the Lunar Chronicles, showing a young Scarlet and how Princess Selene came into the care of Michelle Benoit.
After Sunshine Passes By: In this prequel to Cress, we see how a nine-year-old Cress ended up alone on a satellite, spying on Earth for Luna.
The Princess and the Guard: In this prequel to Winter, we see a game called The Princess
The Mechanic: In this prequel to Cinder, we see Kai and Cinder’s first meeting from Kai’s perspective.
Something Old, Something New: In this epilogue to Winter, friends gather for the wedding of the century...

I'd read a couple of these short stories previously, but I am beyond excited to have them all together in one collection, especially with some new stories, too! I'll be getting a copy of this book signed tomorrow at the Stars Above tour stop here in North Texas tomorrow, but I couldn't wait to read it, so I downloaded the audiobook earlier this week. =)

The Keeper - 4 stars
If you've read the Lunar Chronicles in full, you'll already know how Cinder and Scarlet's paths came to cross. But this story does more to add to Scarlet's grandmother's backstory than to either of the girls'. And from it, you can determine that Scarlet is basically the spitting image of her grand-mère, personality-wise, anyway. It is because of Michelle Benoit that Scarlet is so prepared for what's to come...

Glitches - 4 stars (originally reviewed 12/2/12)
Short and sweet, this prequel story shows us Cinder's introduction to her new family and not only her reaction but their reaction to her. I think it was pretty evident in Cinder that Adri was not happy with Cinder's addition to her family, but Glitches presents a little more background as to why.

I thought it was rather endearing to see how Cinder was acclimating not only to her new role in a family that mostly objected to her presence but also to her new status as a cyborg. She can't remember the accident or much of anything of her life before coming to New Beijing, but it's obvious to her how very different she is now. I loved Cinder's character in the first full-length novel in this series, and it hurts my heart to see how her situation in that novel came about.

The Queen's Army - 4 stars (originally reviewed 12/2/12)
I would be fine if we never encountered the Lunar queen again in this series, but I know that's not going to happen. Having the ability to compel others to bend to one's will makes a person a very worthy adversary, and so I know we have much more of Levana's presence to tolerate. Though, I do hope she gets her comeuppance, especially now that I know the full extent of the atrocities she is willing to commit.

I did like the introduction to Z in this short story, and I hope that his character is featured prominently in the upcoming Scarlet. Possibly as Wolf? Scarlet is a retelling of Red Riding Hood, so it would make sense. And after reading this short story, it seems totally possible that Z becomes known as Wolf, who is described in the synopsis of Scarlet as "a street fighter" who "clearly has a few dark secrets of his own".

Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky - 5 stars
Oh, I just knew Carswell Thorne was a good guy, even when he pretended he was just that rakish guy who got by on his good looks and charm. Sure, his scams are criminal -- criminal but funny -- even as a teenager, but Cress isn't the only girl he played knight-in-shining-armor to her damsel-in-distress for. Thorne has long been my favorite character in this series, and I could honestly read a whole other series based on his exploits alone. A ne'er-do-well who's actually a swoonworthy rogue with a heart of gold? YES, PLEASE.

After Sunshine Passes By - 4 stars
*sniff* I think Cress' backstory was probably the hardest to get through. I mean, none of the heroines of the Lunar Chronicles has had an easy go of it, but Cress is just so isolated and...sad. And to see her at nine years old, cast off and unwanted, left to man a satellite ON HER OWN. I knew Sybil was a monster, but she is just. So. HEARTLESS. The song was sweet, though. o_O

The Princess and the Guard - 5 stars
I'll admit, I was very intrigued to see how Winter and Jacin fared through their childhoods into young adulthood on Luna, and I was not disappointed. I loved getting a peek at Winter before she stopped using her Lunar gift and succumbed to the crazy. And Jacin was as devoted in those early days as we find him later in the series, though definitely a little more easy-going. Of course, becoming part of the Royal Guard changes a man, especially when the queen is Levana. Even so, this story was full of the feels and left me even more enamored of the friends-to-more couple from Winter.

The Little Android - 4 stars
I think I started reading this one when it was up on Wattpad, but I definitely don't remember finishing because I would remember THE SADS. I mean, that's some serious heartbreak right there. And I feel like this short story stays truer to the text of the original tale than any of the other characters arcs. Which is probably why it's so devastatingly brutal: the original fairy tales were not the bearers of sunshine and rainbows that the Disney versions are.

The Mechanic - 4 stars
I'm not always sure I'm going to like getting another character's perspective on a scene I've already read, but this short and sweet story of Cinder and Kai's first meeting from Kai's point-of-view is adorable. I always wondered what made Kai come back himself and ask Cinder to the ball...what intrigued him so much about Cinder. And now I know and love his character a little bit more now. Not that I didn't like him before...he just wasn't my first choice for Cinder. :P

Something Old, Something New - 5 stars
Wow. This story made it all worth it. I like to pretend I'm an unfeeling monster sometimes, but I was seriously tearing up while listening to this one. And it wasn't even necessarily who was getting married, but just the fact that the gang's all together again and doing what they do best: being there for each other. I've really loved going on adventure after adventure (or dangerous mission after dangerous mission, if we want to get technical), and I'm really going to miss this cast of characters. I'm supremely glad that Marissa Meyer decided to give them this send-off...they deserve it as much as her readers do.

From my previous reviews of the audiobooks, just in case you needed further convincing: Sooo worth it to hear Rebecca Soler bring these characters to life again. I don't think I'd like these books half as much if it weren't for her narration. That's a lie. I'd still love them, but it just wouldn't be as much fun because I wouldn't make Cinder sound as feisty in my head, Kai wouldn't seem nearly as regal, Scarlet wouldn't have that slight French accent, and Thorne, well, okay, Captain Carswell Thorne will always be that swoonworthy rogue. But you get the picture. Some audiobooks are just books that are being read to you via some unknown narrator, but the Lunar Chronicles on audio is like having a movie going inside your head. It's impossible not to put yourself in the story, to imagine everything as it's happening and hope for the best right along with the rest of the crew. Rebecca Soler's narration of this series is pure magic, and just. So. Much. Fun.

Stars Above features some old stories and some new ones and backstories galore, plus a sneak peak at the author's new stand-alone, Heartless. And it's worth every penny. I'm dragging my husband to the signing and I was telling him about the series, how the author rewrites favorite fairy tales and then weaves them so that each heroine is a apart of the others' stories, and he was quite intrigued. I'm sure his agreeing to go with me had nothing to do with the Thai food I promised him afterward. ;0) This will be my first time meeting the author and I am SO VERY EXCITED!!!

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Marissa Meyer lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband and three cats. She’s a fan of most things geeky (Sailor Moon, Firefly, color-coordinating her bookshelf . . .), and has been in love with fairy tales since she was given a small book of them when she was a child. She may or may not be a cyborg. Cinder is her first novel.

Find Marissa:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest

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Labels: audiobooks, beautiful covers, fairy tales, fantasy, favorites, lunar chronicles, macmillan, marissa meyer, must-read, novellas, retellings, reviews, sci-fi

{Review in a GIFfy} OMGITSOVERWHATISLIFEEVEN?!? - WINTER by Marissa Meyer

Title: Winter
Author: Marissa Meyer
Narrator(s): Rebecca Soler
Series: The Lunar Chronicles, book #4
Length: 23 hrs 30 mins
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: November 10, 2015
Source: purchased hardcover for shelf and audiobook for immediate immersion =)
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won't approve of her feelings for her childhood friend--the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn't as weak as Levana believes her to be and she's been undermining her stepmother's wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that's been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

So, yeah, that was me on Tuesday, upon waking and realizing it was Winter release day. I had pre-ordered a hardcover, but I'm an impatient person -- I mean, really impatient -- and I wanted to avoid anyone spoiling it for me, so I immediately downloaded the audiobook. I had no idea how long this book was expected to be, so when I saw that the audio was 23 1/2 hours long, I did a double-take. But it makes sense with all the loose ends and character arcs the author had left to tie up.

I'm not going to go into the story because if you've made it to this point, you know what's at stake. You know Levana is batshit. You know what sacrifices Cinder and company are willing to make to bring her reign of terror to an end. And you know who you ship and where your OTPs stand. I pretty much stand by what I said in my review of the Cress audio and so I'll just put this here:

Sooo worth it to hear Rebecca Soler bring these characters to life again. I don't think I'd like these books half as much if it weren't for her narration. That's a lie. I'd still love them, but it just wouldn't be as much fun because I wouldn't make Cinder sound as feisty in my head, Kai wouldn't seem nearly as regal, Scarlet wouldn't have that slight French accent, and Thorne, well, okay, Captain Carswell Thorne will always be that swoonworthy rogue. But you get the picture. Some audiobooks are just books that are being read to you via some unknown narrator, but the Lunar Chronicles on audio is like having a movie going inside your head. It's impossible not to put yourself in the story, to imagine everything as it's happening and hope for the best right along with the rest of the crew. Rebecca Soler's narration of this series is pure magic, and even if I were to get an advance copy of Winter -- assuming they will exist -- I'd still probably opt for the audio version because it's just. So. Much. Fun.

No matter how much I started off enjoying this series, I'm constantly surprised by it. Each book just gets progressively better, introducing new characters and new villains and new romances. And somehow, no one ever gets left out or sidelined in order to concentrate on a different story arc. No matter who the leading lady is in each book, the others are not forgotten. I follow the author's blog and Twitter and I know how crazy-organized she is and has to be in order to keep all of these storylines in check, so I can imagine how easy it might be to let a character fall by the wayside. But Meyer never does, and you seriously have to applaud what a masterful storyteller she is.

And I love seeing how everyone's story is coming together, how everyone fits into this giant picture Meyer undoubtedly has in her head. Her reimagining of some of my favorite childhood fairy tales is beautifully done, and I love how the author has woven bits of science and fantasy into her stories to create something fresh and vibrant and completely her own.

In this installment, it's Snow White's turn in the spotlight, with Winter as the damsel in distress, living with her deranged stepmother on Luna, within her own hero's grasp and yet so far out of his reach. It is so funny to me that while reading, I get so caught up in the story that I don't remember it's a retelling until one of the elements in the original story comes to pass, and then I'm like OMG YAAASSS!!!

I loved Meyer's take on Snow White, but I don't know that I could say I loved it more than any of the other heroines' arcs...because I love them all equally, obsessively, and completely. Don't ask me to pick a favorite because I absolutely CANNOT and WILL NOT and SHOULD NEVER be forced to do such a thing.

I will say that I appreciate the author's efforts to make her characters so dynamic and diverse, most obviously in Winter. You've got mental instability, bi-racial coupling, interplanetary-coupling...there's something for everyone and everyone for someone. Those ships...MY GAWD.

The swoons and kissing scenes in this book are pretty epic. I liked to pretend that I didn't hear it the first time and go back and listen again. And again. To the point that someone would see me blushing and ask what I was listening to and I'd finally have to move on. =)

• Winter and Jacin are adorable. But they let that whole class thing get in their way for far too long. Winter is whimsical and Jacin is resolute, and they're kind of perfect for each other.
• Cress and Thorne are yin and yang. She's innocent to the world and he's taken advantage of all it has to offer. I'd ship Thorne with just about anyone, though, as long as I got to hear his quips. I shipped him with Cinder at first because their banter was ah-mazing.
• Scarlet and Wolf are my OTP. They just...the bond, the love, the strength there...THAT IS LIFE. Even after everything they've been through and suffered, they still have the strongest relationship of all.
• Cinder and Kai are...they're the bones of the story. Without them, everything else falls apart. And together, they are a rock.

Obvs, I could have used more kissing. ALWAYS MORE KISSING. And I would really have liked to see a bromance develop between Kai and Thorne. I saw something there at one point, and I didn't want it to end. Maybe we'll see more of it in Stars Above? Maybe more kissing, too, yes?

I don't know if it was because I was listening or the pacing just really picked up in the second half, but it flew by. Like, I may need a re-listen very soon so I can parse some things out. (Or, I guess, I could just revert to my hardcover.) It was just so jam-packed with ALL THE THINGS HAPPENING and the mind-melds and manipulations and it was like who's doing WHAT? And NO, DON'T DO THAT...STAAAAAAHPPP!!! For a minute there, I thought I might never recover.

And then I went to my happy place and this is basically all I remember:

Worth it, though. SO. WORTH. IT. This is one of my absolute favorite series, and I've listened to all of the books on audio and I REGRET NOTHING. Every character, every story line, every single minute spent with these books has been amazing. Marissa Meyer is on my auto-buy list, and if she's not on yours yet, then you probably haven't read one of her books because if you had, you'd be hooked. I just loved these books so much. I could re-read them again right now. And I just might because I seriously don't know what to do with all these feels!

About the author:

Marissa Meyer lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband and three cats. She’s a fan of most things geeky (Sailor Moon, Firefly, color-coordinating her bookshelf . . .), and has been in love with fairy tales since she was given a small book of them when she was a child. She may or may not be a cyborg. Cinder is her first novel.

Find Marissa:

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Previous posts in this feature:

Of Metal and Wishes
The Kiss of Deception
Between the Spark and the Burn
Blue Lily, Lily Blue
This Shattered World
A Court of Thorns and Roses
The Heart of Betrayal
Of Dreams and Rust

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Labels: audiobooks, beautiful covers, book trailers, fairy tales, fantasy, favorites, lunar chronicles, macmillan, marissa meyer, must-read, retellings, review in a giffy, reviews, sci-fi